With the harvest season fast

approaching, we look at ways of

increasing profits from crimping

home-grown cereal crops.

Home-grown feed processing and preservation

KnowHowSUMMER 2018

Also inthis issue:

Be sure to visit us at any of the trade shows and regional events we are attending this year. (See back cover for diary dates)

Questioning the benefits of urea-treated grain - page 10

Slashing the cost of beef production - page 4

Profiting from bean silage and crimp - page 14

Focus on

crimped feed

Continued on page 2

To crimp or not to crimp

Having worked independently in beef nutrition for 14 years, I can certainly say that crimping grain has made a huge difference to a number of my customers, and the answer is yes, seriously consider crimping.

The good old British weather, among other reasons, has resulted in an ever-increasing struggle to ensure that quality grass silage, and other forages, are made each year. Crimped grain has proved to be a safe energy boost that can be fed at much higher levels than rolled or ground cereals. It allows a higher overall proportion of grains to be fed in beef diets without the increased risk of acidosis and other rumen issues.

Apart from moisture content, the analysis of crimped grains does not vary significantly from dry cereals. However, when harvested at the correct stage, a lower proportion of the grain dry matter is rumen-degradable (fast fermenting) and a higher proportion bypass (slow fermenting) when compared with dry grain. This has immense benefits, allowing the animal to fully process feeds later in the gut and absorb more of the nutrients from those feeds. As a result more energy is utilised into animal production, rather than being wasted as excrement.

A good mixture of rumen and bypass feeds is the best option and having rolled, dry cereals (or other rumen-degradable energy feeds) with crimped

by Lizz Clarke, LC Beef Nutrition

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Continued from page 1

cereals gives you this mix. Crimping is not limited to just cereal grains; beans, peas and maize are all ideal candidates for the crimping process.

Crimped grains are beneficial in all beef diets from young calves through to finishers if the diet is in need of energy supplement.

I work individually with farmers, tailoring the rations and mixes to their own ‘on-farm feed supply’ needs and, of course, and importantly, the requirements of the end processor. I have found that crimp is an asset to nearly all beef-producing systems, from a lower energy, higher grass-based finish for extensive systems (those

Lizz Clarke of LC Beef Nutrition.Email: lcbeefnutrition@gmail.com

Ingredient Fresh Weight (kgs) Dry Matter Intake (kgs)

Crimped wheat 9 4.8

Baled silage 7.5 5.6

Beans (rolled) 2.5 2.1

Straw 0.35 0.22

Minerals 0.08 0.08

Total DMI 12.9

ME 12.2m/d

Protein 13%

Starch 27%

Example of actual diet for extensive finishing system, based in Buckinghamshire.

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that need to have had a grazing season and need to have a higher percentage of forage within the finishing diet) to higher energy, more potent diets for bull beef systems where crimp is fed from weaning onwards for Rosé veal or the processing market. Knowledge of how all your available feeds work within the animal is hugely beneficial, and ensuring all aspects of the animal’s dietary requirements are catered for is critical. Crimping has enormous benefits, but I find that feeding a mix of dry-rolled cereals (supplying rapidly-fermentable energy) and crimped cereals (for slower fermenting and rumen-bypass energy supply) gives even better results. Ensuring the animal has something to chew on and stimulate the rumen is also vital and must be taken into consideration, i.e. forage, straw etc.

The two separate farm diets shown were advised originally when moving onto crimped cereals was being considered. The objective was to improve performance and outcome. Now, a few years down the road, neither of these farms has returned to their previous systems and they continue to see good economic performance.

When cereal prices are low, it is not unheard of to utilise your maximum recommended amount of dry cereals (for a fully grown 500kg+ animal), let us say 3-4kgs of dry rolled wheat (in a TMR) and then 8-10kgs of crimped wheat, along with the rumen stimulants (fibre) and protein sources. This, in many cases may be the cheapest feed option. If cereals are in short supply and expensive, then purchased, cheaper products to satisfy the rumen fill can be used allowing crimped grain, maybe at lower levels, to still provide that much needed bypass energy.

With earlier harvest, one-stop processing and ready to feed after ensiling, crimping grain means no further treatment of the cereal is required before it can be fed to the animal. No waiting for the mill and mix, or dusty home-milling. Once ensiled in a pit or silo bag for the recommended period of time, it is just a case of mixing with other required feeds and feeding as it is – simple! All you need now is all the other elements of the diet taken care of to ensure it is all balanced to give you the most cost-effective ration with the feeds available.

Ingredient Fresh Weight (kgs) Dry Matter Intake (kgs)

Crimped maize 5 3.4

Crimped wheat 3 1.9

Potatoes 2 0.7

Haylage 0.8 0.28

Regupro 0.7 0.04

Straw 0.3 0.26

Minerals & limestone flour 0.13 0.13

DMI 7

ME 13m/d

Protein 12%

Starch 51%

Example of actual finishing diet for Bull Beef System for Rosé Veal Market based in Yorkshire.

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Duncan Fairbairn (pictured above) had been growing and drying grain at New Meadow Farm in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire for his beef rearing and finishing business for many years but was gradually beginning to question whether the costs and hassle involved were really worthwhile. Finding the right window for cereal harvest at the ideal 14-15% moisture was an age-old challenge and using a specialist mobile roller to process the grain added extra cost. Once the corn was in from the field, there was also the issue of dry grain storage, which – for his then small beef enterprise – was a relatively costly business.

Buying his own grain roller was the first step in reducing his processing costs and for this, Mr Fairbairn approached Kelvin Cave Ltd.

“Using a contractor for rolling dry grain had become expensive – I reckon it added about £15 per tonne,” he says. “So, having my own grain roller was the first step in cutting costs and I managed to obtain a second-hand Murska 350.”

But when Mr Fairbairn took delivery of the machine, he was questioned by Kelvin Cave’s sales director, Ian Hall, about the wisdom of rolling dried grain at all. Mr Hall also introduced him to the concept of crimping, a process by which moist grain is treated for long-term stable storage.

“The machine Duncan had bought was perfectly suited to rolling dry grain but it is also designed for crimping,” said Mr Hall. “This means high

An overhaul in feed preservation has slashed costs, improved rumen health and increased performance on Duncan Fairbairn’s Gloucestershire farm.

Costs of beef

production slashed by

crimping grain

Costs of beef

production slashed by

crimping grain

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Continued on page 6

moisture grain can be harvested around three weeks earlier than conventional harvest and is processed with the preservative CrimpSafe through an applicator on the machine.”

The crimped cereal is then stored in a similar way to silage – compacted and sheeted in a clamp without specialist equipment.

“This process not only brings the cereal in at a higher feed value, it also comes in at a higher dry matter yield and in better condition, usually before there’s any disease, shrivelling or loss of grain,” says Mr Hall. “And with the right preservative, a quick and controlled fermentation is achieved and the crop’s nutritional value is retained.”

Mr Fairbairn could see the appeal of the process and was prepared to try it on a small scale.

“We had a long, narrow silage pit which I’d used for storing moist feeds, so we used this for the crimp,” he says. “I did have reservations because it was completely new to me and I was worried about what would happen if it didn’t work out.”

In the first year he cut two fields of winter barley and the crop came in at 5t/acre (12.4t/ha) at 42% moisture.

“Even allowing for the extra moisture, we had good dry matter yields for these fields,” he says. “However, we think we cut the corn a few days earlier than ideal, and now aim to harvest at 28-32% moisture.”

Opening the clamp for the first time three weeks after harvest, Mr Fairbairn says: “I thought that was 10 steps to heaven! It smelt like honey, the cattle loved it and there was absolutely no wastage.”

Continuing to use crimped cereals has now allowed him to rethink how he feeds his cattle and to make operational changes to the whole system.

“We used to buy in calves at around five weeks and put them on to milk and creep, followed by a pellet until they were around five months old,” he says.

But this was a costly system, so they now come on to the farm at three to four months and go straight on to the grower total mixed ration [see panel]. They will stay on this until they weigh around 450-500kg and then move on to the finisher ration.”

In the finishing period, the ration is based on two-thirds of the grower ration and one-third crimped barley (fresh weights), which ramps up the starch to 35%.

“We have no scouring and have absolutely no worries about acidosis when feeding crimped cereals as unlike dry rolled cereals they are slowly fermented and very safe for the rumen,” he says.

David Hendy, the farm’s nutritionist explains: “Clearly there are practical and logistical benefits to crimping cereals but from a nutritional perspective it also has advantages. It’s safer for rumen stability, is more digestible and degradable than conventional rolled grain and can be safely fed at a higher rate where finisher rations need to have optimum performance.”

The cost of the crimped barley has been meticulously worked out and Mr Fairbairn says it’s considerably cheaper than rolled, dry-stored cereal.

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Continued from page 5

Last season, my growing, harvesting and transporting costs were £372/acre for winter barley and the first 10 acre field we harvested – even earlier than usual on 22 June – yielded 57 tonnes of grain (5.7 tonnes/acre fresh weight and 4.1t/acre dry matter).

“This means our growing cost was £65.26/tonne at 28% moisture,” he says. “Added to this is our crimping cost, which includes the CrimpSafe, sheeting, depreciation and labour, and worked out at a further £19 per tonne.

“This gives a total cost of £84/tonne of fresh weight, which, at 28% moisture, is £116.66/tonne of dry matter – and that’s an over-estimate as it assumes zero value for the straw which came in at 2.9 t/acre (7.2t/ha).”

He compares this with the £148/t DM he has calculated as the cost of his dried, rolled barley although says this varies from year to year depending partly on whether drying is needed. However, this figure fails to account for the additional yield to come from the earlier crimp harvest which, on average, has been over one tonne/acre extra on a dry matter basis because of the lack of losses.

The cost of crimped barley has been worked through to cost the entire TMR which Mr Fairbairn says is £88.45 per tonne of dry matter for the growers and £106.50/t DM for the finishers.

However, he says: “The most important thing to me is not just the cost of the feed nor getting the highest growth rate, but the cost of producing a kilogram of liveweight gain.”

With growth rates averaging 1.1kg/day for growers and 1.45kg/day for finishers, he says this costs the business 66.7p/kg and 90.3p/kg of liveweight gain respectively (see table).

Confident these figures are appreciably better than his earlier ration, he says he has cut the cost of bought-in feed by at least £5,000/year and now aims for 96-98% self-sufficiency.

However, he says the knock-on benefits of harvesting and using crimp extend beyond the cost of liveweight gain as there are agronomic and health benefits which help the finances of the whole farm.

“The contractor loves the job because harvest is so early, it’s no longer weather-dependent

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and it doesn’t matter if – like last year – there is uneven ripening of grain,” he says.

“We also get more and better quality straw which has a higher feed value, and we can get on the fields early for autumn cultivations and potentially get in a forage crop for autumn grazing,” he says.

Today, the business has expanded to a throughput of 110-130 head finished each year from the 160 acre holding. Performance of the beef continues to improve and the kill sheets from St Merryn Meat show grades of up to -U3 and deadweights of up to 387kg for stock aged 19-23 months.

Most are 50:50 dairy x beef breeds and Mr Fairbairn says: “I find cattle fed a better ration for longer seem to have better carcass quality with a higher killing out percent.

“With our previous ration and dry cereals as our main energy source, we would have waited until at least 24 months to finish the dairy cross cattle and used to have around 15% more O+ and comparably less R and –U grades,” he says.

As a farm contractor himself – specialising in silage, racehorse hay and cultivations – he has now switched the preservation of every forage made on the farm to a Kelvin Cave product and upgraded the crimper to a Korte 700 with a throughput of over 10 tonnes/hour.

“We use CrimpSafe 300 for grain which comes in at over 24% moisture and CrimpSafe Hi-Dry for grain at between 16 and 24%,” he says. “We’ve also switched to Safesil Challenge for grass and lucerne silage, Safesil Pro for wholecrop and maize silage and we treat the racehorse hay with Propcorn NC as it’s so important in this to prevent the growth of fungi and moulds. All silages are also sheeted in O2 Barrier 2in1.

“We know it will cost us more than some other products but it’s all about maximising the value of everything we grow on the farm. We are confident we will get the money back… and then some again.”

New Meadow Farm grower ration (freshweights/head/day)

Lucerne hay 0.75kgGrass silage 9kgCrimped barley 1.5kgMinerals and limestone flour 0.15kgWholecrop/maize silage 6kgBrewers’ grains/bread 3kgAnalysis in dry matter: 40% dry matter, 13.7% crude protein, ME 11.1MJ/kg, 45% NDF, 17.5% starch

Average intake: 20.4kg head/day freshweight or 8.3kg dry matter at average 1.1kg gain/day therefore at a cost of 73.4p/head/day and 66.7p/kg gain

New Meadow Farm finisher ration (freshweights/head/day)

Grower ration 17kgCrimped barley 8.5kgAnalysis in dry matter: 48.4% dry matter, 13.4% crude protein, ME 12MJ/kg, 35.3% NDF, 35% starch

Average intake: 25.5kg/head/day freshweight or 12.3kg dry matter at 1.45kg gain/day therefore at a cost of £1.30/head/day and 90.3p/kg gain

Products used on New Meadow Farm, Gloucestershire

PRODUCT PURPOSE

CrimpSafe 300 Grain harvested at over 24% moisture

CrimpSafe Hi-Dry Grain between16% and 24% moisture

Safesil Challenge Grass and lucerne silage

Safesil Pro Wholecrop and maize silage

Propcorn NC Racehorse hay

O2 Barrier 2in1 All clamp silages

"We know it will cost us more than some other products, but it's all about maximising the value of everything we grow on the farm."

Duncan Fairbairn

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CRIMPING -It's all about thinking inside the box

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CRIMPING -It's all about thinking inside the box

THE COMPLETE CRIMPING PACKAGE

CrimpSafe 300 and Crimpsafe Hi-DryCrimpSafe 300 ensures a controlled fermentation and maximum nutrient retention for grain over 25% moisture. For effective preservation of grain below 25% moisture content, use CrimpSafe Hi-Dry.

Grain processing machines With proven versatility and performance across the range, Kelvin Cave Ltd has machines capable of processing between 600 kilos and 50 tonnes per hour, and a range of ancillary equipment and bespoke options to suit all applications.

O2 Barrier 2in1Applied as a single sheet which transforms into two on the clamp; O2 Barrier 2in1 comprises a protective, high-quality top layer covering a layer of very oxygen impermeable, polyamide vacuum film. It provides quick and effective clamp sealing with reduced workload, and up to a tenfold decrease in oxygen permeability compared to conventional sheeting systems.

ClampTilesMade from 90 per cent recycled material with a life expectancy of around 15 years ClampTiles are ergonomically designed for ease of handling. Unlike tyres, they don’t harbour rainwater and debris, and when not in use can be stacked on pallets.

ClampNetA 300g/m2, heavy-duty green silage cover with seamed, stitched edges to prevent fraying or unravelling. ClampNet offers added protection from attack by birds and vermin and also helps to maintain compaction.

KlampClipsMade from stainless, spring steel, KlampClips are like an extra pair of hands when lining clamp walls with side sheets. Available in two sizes (100-150mm clamp wall width x 700mm long, and 200-300mm clamp wall width x 1000mm long), both are available in packs of 25.

Side SheetsHeavy-duty, 150μm, clear plastic side sheets supplied in 50-metre rolls and convenient widths of 4, 5 and 6 metres.

We also supply …

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The answer to this question is a straight “no”, or, at least, “it depends on what the farmer´s intention is”. This article aims to give farmers “food for thought” regarding the best suitable technology to preserve high-moisture cereals.

Urea-treatment limits harvest date flexibility It has been well accepted that 22% is the maximum moisture level for preservation of cereals with urea - either as rolled or as whole grains.

Targeting this moisture requires the cereals to be left in the field for an unnecessarily long period, enabling moulds to infest the plant and produce mycotoxins. It also reduces the time available for following cropping actions, e.g. reseeding or catch-crops. In addition, evidence suggests that an earlier cereal harvest may play a promising role

in preventing the spread of black grass in continuous cereal rotations, given that harvest occurs before black grass seed begins to shed. Narrowing the time window by having to have as low as 22% moisture can also result in challenges to farmers and contractors regarding available capacity for harvest and/or crimping. Only the harvest of cereals at 30% or even higher moisture content, and subsequent crimping and ensiling, offers maximum flexibility.

Is the protein added by urea treatment equal to the protein fed in the ration?Indeed, urea application increases crude protein (CP) content of the treated cereals. However, about 25% of the urea is lost by volatilisation and evaporation of ammonia released from it (Spiekers et al., 2005), especially once the sheeting is taken off the heap. This is supported by empirical evidence

Is the use of urea or urea-containing additives really the way forward to preserve home-grown high-moisture cereals?by Dr. Horst Auerbach, International Silage Consultancy (ISC), Wettin-Löbejün, Germany

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Continued on page 12

from farmers who notice a strong smell of ammonia in the storage barn after removal of the plastic cover, which gets weaker and virtually disappears with progressing time. At the typical urea inclusion rate of 2% (20g/kg) resulting in a CP increase by about 6% units, 25% loss amounts to 1.5% less, or just 4.5% more CP, in the cereals. Thus, if CP content of the treated cereals is not regularly determined, then the ration may contain less CP than required to maintain a given animal performance level.

One should also always bear in mind that urea only delivers CP that is readily available in the rumen but no rumen-undegradable protein (RUP). The RUP fraction, however, is particularly important for high-producing dairy cows. If ammonia and carbohydrate supplies are not in balance, surplus ammonia is quickly absorbed from the rumen and has to be detoxified in the liver, thereby detrimentally affecting animal health. This also has the potential to affect fertility adversely since ammonia in the bloodstream can cause foetal mortality.

Is urea treatment effective in reducing the risks of acidosis caused by too much cereal in the diet?Data on the effects of urea-treated grains on rumen function is lacking. Of course, the ammonia released from urea which is still present at the time of feeding can buffer dietary acids, originating from the silage in the ration, or from lactic acid production related to cereal starch digestion in the rumen.

However, in order to address the practical relevance of this frequently made claim, we need to do the maths!

Unfortunately, we cannot predict how much lactic acid is produced from cereals in the rumen, but it is correct to say that the more cereals fed, the higher the risk of excessive lactic acid formation, thereby reducing the amount

of ammonia available for buffering lactic acid, the strongest of all fermentation acids, coming from silage. Each gram of ammonia from urea can neutralise 5.3g of lactic acid, to form ammonium lactate. At an assumed urea application rate of, again, 2% (20g/kg), and an ammonia concentration of 56% in urea, minus 25% ammonia losses during storage, 8.5g/kg of ammonia can be released.

This amount has the potential to neutralise about 45g of lactic acid. Thus, 90g or 225g of lactic acid in the ration can be buffered if 2kg or 5kg respectively of treated cereals are fed per head and day. Indeed, there may be a buffering effect, especially in fattening cattle, but only when cereals are offered at a daily rate higher than normal (5 kg/head) and if the silage in the ration only contains low to moderate lactic acid concentrations of 50g/kg DM. However, in particular, low DM grass and maize silage often contains >100g of lactic acid per kg of DM, rendering the buffer effect of ammonia from grain urea treatment negligible, especially in the feeding of milking cows having a daily intake from silage of >10kg of DM. It has to be noted that

Is the chemistry of urea treatment really the right thing for your stock?

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Continued from page 11

silage does not only contain lactic but also other fermentation acids, e.g. acetic acid, at significant concentrations. These can be bound by ammonia too. Unless controlled animal studies have proven positive effects of urea-treated cereals on rumen health, care should be taken to simply imply them or take them for granted.

Pure feed-grade urea or urea plus enzymes, full-fat soya, essential oils and other additives?It is more than questionable and, on financial terms, not a wise decision to spend more money on urea-containing additives than on pure material as far as the urea-related effects, e.g. increase in CP level, microbial inhibition, are concerned.

There is no evidence at all that formulated products offer advantages over feed-grade urea, but they are certainly much more expensive. The cost for cereal treatment with urea vary between £20 and £30/t. At 2% inclusion rate, this equals to £1.00-£1.50/kg of product

whereas feed-grade urea sells at only around £0.40/kg.

Farmers who consider the use of urea-containing additives must ask suppliers for a detailed composition of the product - especially the content of substances other than urea and their beneficial effect – in order to be able to evaluate the return-on-investment compared to the sole use of pure feed-grade urea.

What is the way forward in preserving crimped, high-moisture cereals?No technology other than crimping at >30% moisture offers so much flexibility in preserving home-grown cereals and their use in the nutrition of all farm animals.

Crimping guarantees cereal harvest at optimal nutritional value and hygienic quality, together with several agronomical advantages and reduced peak times of machinery use due to a wide harvest window. Crimped cereals treated with an acid- or salt-based additive can be fed, without any restrictions, to all animal species and categories whereas urea-treated grains must not be offered to monogastrics or calves without a fully developed rumen.

Should there be the unlikely situation of a shortage of soluble CP in the ration, feed-grade urea can always be included in the ration depending on its composition and the animal category.

This approach is far more flexible and economical than is the treatment of the entire cereal inventory with urea or urea-containing products.

Dr Horst Auerbach runs the International Silage Consultancy in Germany and has published numerous research papers on the effective preservation of cereal grain for livestock feeding.

Wheat combined at 35% moisture for crimping

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Just a reminder that you can keep in touch with us at any time by visiting our Facebook page!

It’s here that you can post questions about any of our products and services or share your thoughts on all manner of farming-related topics.

You can also view product videos and keep bang up-to-date with all the latest news and developments at Kelvin Cave Ltd. Now you don’t have to wait for the next issue of KnowHow to know what’s happening at the forefront of home-grown feed processing and preservation.

So, sign up, log on and remember to Like Us on Facebook!

Also, don’t forget our website is packed full of information and useful tips for getting the best out of your home-grown feeds. Just go to kelvincave.com or follow the link from our Facebook page.

You can also email us:info@kelvincave.comor give us a call on01458 252 281

Don’t be a stranger!

DON’T JUST TAKE OUR WORD FOR ITWe are passionate about helping you to get the most out of your home-grown feed crops. But do our recommendations for good practice and investment in the best preservatives and machinery really make a difference to forage quality?

Our Field Study bulletins document real-life case studies with genuine user experiences and endorsements, and they’re all available to read or download from our website:

kelvincave.com/science-centre/field-studies

So don’t just take our word for it. Hear it from farmers for whom we’ve really made a difference!

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Brothers, Martin and Richard Grix, have found a niche in the beef industry involving finishing cull cows as they leave the suckler herd. But the profitability of the enterprise depends entirely on sourcing cattle well from markets across northern Britain and quickly and cheaply moving animals through the system.

Such has been the success of the venture on their Northumberland farm that today, it is considered a key part of the family’s overall business and matches the 750 acre (300ha) arable enterprise in the generation of profit. It does this by finishing the cows in as little as 60 (and up to 100) days and feeding them at a daily cost of £1.65/head. But this achievement has only been possible by growing and carefully processing key feed ingredients at home in Morpeth on Hillhead Farm.

When the beef enterprise was started in the mid-2000s, it placed a heavy emphasis on by-products and dried rolled cereals grown

on the farm, but the brothers soon discovered there were drawbacks in their choice of feeds. Martin says: “When you use by-products, you can suddenly get that phone call which leaves you high and dry.”

This was the case when the supply of waste fruit – which had been a key ingredient of the ration for many years – suddenly dried up.

“Our supplier lost the contract and the fruit we fed to the cows now goes to anaerobic digestion,” he says.

Equally, while dried, rolled cereals may seem an obvious choice on an arable farm, he says they have their limitations. There is the acidosis risk of feeding dry cereals – a particular problem with some older cows which have spent their lives on forage – and there’s the cost of drying and rolling grain.

“The cost of diesel was going up, there was the glyphosate for desiccation, the gas for drying the cereals and we had to roll the grain throughout the year,” he says. “There was

Bean silage and crimp drive profits in beef

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also the rent for the shed to store the dried grain, although even here, it was vulnerable to vermin.

“The more we thought about it, the more illogical it seemed, as we were basically drying the grain to 15% moisture to subsequently mix it with a wet ration.”

Aware of the possibility of preserving moist cereals they first sought advice from Kelvin Cave’s Michael Carpenter, who had been recommended by a friend from Cumbria.

“Michael advised us that we could harvest our cereals between 30 and 45% moisture, crimp the grain using a specialised crimping preservative, and store it in a clamp,” he says.

The attractions of this option were numerous, including the earlier harvest around three weeks before dried cereals; a higher dry matter yield and feed value, as the crop would be harvested at its maximum nutritional value and before it starts to deteriorate; less acid loading on the rumen than conventional cereals; and easy storage on the farm.”

The brothers took the plunge with crimping in 2011 and say the process met their expectations in every way.

“We expected a higher tonnage and we’re definitely getting an extra tonne to the acre; it gives us a longer harvest window and the earlier harvest allows us time for muck-spreading and to make a good start with cultivations for winter cereals or rape; and it’s definitely more animal-friendly,” says Martin.

The outcome he says is a much cheaper ration, no acidosis and easy storage on the

farm, while the earlier harvested straw – which dries on the field for five to seven days before baling – is said by the brothers to make better quality feed than drier straw.

Buoyed by the success of the crimping process, which cut the cost of the ration by around five per cent to £1.93/head/day, the brothers saw there was scope to further reduce the bought-in feeds, particularly those with the highest cost which increased the ration’s protein.

“We had been feeding a ration based on the crimped barley, potato mash, wheat straw, pot ale syrup and feed-grade urea, but we were convinced by Michael that we could

make further improvements while also reducing the cost,” says Martin.

Taking Michael’s advice to try spring beans for harvesting

as whole-crop silage, the brothers trialled the idea by buying a small standing crop in 2016.

“Michael felt that bean silage would suit our system well, as it would provide forage and protein which could

replace some of the straw and the feed-

grade urea we were buying in,” says Martin.

“We liked what we saw from the little we had and felt the cattle

on the bean ration came through with a better finish,” he says. “So, we seeded 58 acres (23ha) in April 2017, and harvested it as whole-crop on 17 October.”

The brothers opted to use Safesil Pro to preserve the whole-crop silage, as it is formulated specifically for high dry matter forages, and they wanted to be certain of killing harmful bacteria and eliminating the activity of fungi and moulds.

Continued on page 16

Farming brothers Martin (right) and Richard Grix

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“I recommended they used this chemical-based preservative rather than an inoculant because a high dry matter, stemmy and fibrous whole-crop, harvested late in the season, is amongst the most challenging of forages to compact and ensile,” said Michael. “Some bacterial additives can give variable results, and we saw no point in taking that risk.

“The Safesil Pro, used by the Grixes, contains the human food-grade ingredients, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate and sodium nitrite, which facilitates a rapid fermentation

Continued from page 15

and gives the best aerobic stability of any product we know,” he says.

The brothers opened the clamp for feeding around three weeks after harvest and introduced the beans to a newly formulated ration. This is mixed in a Keenan feeder equipped with an InTouch controller to ensure precise and consistent feeding.

The farm’s Keenan nutritionist, Chris Lord, reduced the straw in the ration by over 50 per cent and removed the urea altogether (see table). Pot

ale syrup was also cut down as this had been an important source of protein. “I’d always wanted to reduce the straw because it was diluting the energy in this ration, but we needed to find an alternative source of structural fibre,” says Chris Lord. “Whole-crop beans not only bring physical structure and fibre to the ration but they are also a great source of protein and starch.”

The bean silage analysed at 71 per cent dry matter and 19 per cent protein and was included

Richard Grix with Michael Carpenter of Kelvin Cave Ltd

Hillhead Farm facts • Two brothers run 330 ha (750 acres) arable and 1,500 head of cull cow beef

• Buy cows from up to nine markets/week in Scotland and northern England

• Sell approx 1,500 head direct to abattoir every year

• Cows are on farm for 60 to 100 days

• Low-cost system with no weights or growth rates monitored

• Early emphasis was on by-products and dried rolled cereals

• A move to crimp, now using Crimpsafe 300, increased feed value and cut costs

• Whole-crop beans increased fibre and protein and further cut costs

• Crude protein of straw-urea component of former ration was 11.07% (DM basis)

• Crude protein of whole-crop bean component of current ration is 18.9% (DM basis)

• Beans harvested at 16 tonnes/ha (6.5t/acre)

• Cost per tonne of bean silage in clamp, £42.77 (freshweight), £60.32/t DM

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IngredientsRation 1

with crimpRation 2

with crimp and beans

kg/head/day (freshweight)

Wholecrop beans - 6.40

Wheat straw 3.91 1.50

Potato mash 8.25 7.00

Beef minerals 0.12 0.12

Crimped barley 10.40 8.90

Pot ale syrup 3.90 1.80

Feed grade urea 0.07 -

Nutrients

DM intake (kg/day) 15.30 15.40

Forage DM intake (kg/day) 3.40 5.80

ME (Mj/kg DM) 11.90 11.90

Protein (% DM) 12.80 13.30

Starch (% DM) 40.10 38.50

Sugar (% DM) 3.30 3.70

NDF (% DM) 25.30 25.90

Cost of ration (p/kg) 12.60 10.70

Cost of ration (£/cow/day) 1.93 1.65

in the ration at 6.4kg/head/day (freshweight).

The overall total mixed ration was costed at £1.65/head/day compared with £1.93/head/day when straw and urea were part of the TMR (last year’s feed prices, with straw costed at £80/tonne). With cows on the farm for a maximum of 100 days, but ideally somewhat less, this has the scope to cut as much as £28 per head from finishing costs, equating to £42,000/annum for the 1,500 head which pass through the system every year. This saving, from the introduction of bean silage, is on top of that made through changing to crimp, and is likely to be higher this year as straw increases in price to upwards of £100 per tonne.

The brothers have sown beans again for 2018 and increased their acreage to 90 (36ha).

“We’ve found they suit our system well,” says Martin. “They give us another entry into first wheats [used for biscuit making] which is really useful for the arable rotation and the extra nitrogen the beans have left in the soil give our wheat yields a lift.

“If, as a bonus, we can eliminate the need to purchase extra straw, it will also greatly reduce the risk of importing blackgrass to the farm,” he says.

Hillhead Farm cull cow beef rations

18 kelvincave.com

Reserve forage stocks have been used up completely or severely depleted in many parts of the country and, for many, a wet Autumn resulted in reduced acreages of winter cereals being sown. Then we had the late and difficult Spring weather delaying drilling of crops even further. In order to get rotations back on track and replenish conserved forage reserves, turning cereal and even pulse crops into wholecrop silage could be a useful option to consider.

Using cereal crops to produce good quality silage is often perceived as a simple, low-cost option and can help to get a starchy feed into ruminant rations, and wholecrop also provides the benefit of rumen-stimulating ‘scratch factor’.

However, if you cut too early the overall starch yield will be low because the plant has had insufficient growing time to produce enough sugars,through photosynthesis, to convert into starch in the grain. Cutting after the crop has reached 40% DM will give higher starch content, but this may be compromised by reduced digestibility of the whole plant, due to lignification.

The ideal stage to harvest is when the crop DM is between 35% and 40%, and the grain has the consistency of firm, cottage cheese. If it is not harvested, ensiled and preserved effectively, the end result can often be disappointing, with a poor quality, aerobically unstable (heating) silage exposing livestock to the risk of reduced intake and mycotoxin challenges.

With all wholecrop silages aim for a chop- length of around 50mm (2 inches) as this is ideal for the rumen and helps with good consolidation in the clamp. Make sure theharvester is fitted with a grain processor which is adjusted correctly to crack every grain. Even harvested at this stage, unprocessed grains will pass through the animal undigested.

Cereal crops almost always have high levels of yeasts and moulds and undesirable bacteria on them, and these have the potential to grow rapidly both in the sealed clamp (where they result in invisible energy and DM losses) and

at the open face (where the losses are evidenced by heating). Treatingthe crop with Safesil Pro as it passes through the harvester is the most effective way of minimising the costly damage these organisms can cause.

Safesil Pro’s unique blend of human food-grade preservatives is proven to destroy these harmful microorganisms whilst leaving the useful lactic acid bacteria to ferment the silage unchallenged. This results in more DM retained and silage

that will remain stable for long periods once exposed to air.

However, trials have shown that standard delivery equipment fitted to forage harvesters often fails to apply additives evenly - if at all - to all of the crop. By retro-fitting a Silaspray SP Standard-Maxi to self-propelled or trailed harvesters an even, controlled and effective dose of additive can be delivered to all of the crop for optimum protection and zero wastage.

CLOSE-UP ON

WHOLECROP

1901458 252 281

Well-compacted silage means more efficient use of available clamp space and less risk of air penetration into the silage face when it is opened. Using a SilaPactor to consolidate the crop in thin layers can increase compaction density by up to 40%, and saves time and fuel in the process because it works across its full 3-metre width – fewer tractor passes for a better end-result!

Air - or more precisely oxygen - is always the enemy of silage, so achieving and maintaining a good air-tight seal is essential. Good quality, strong side sheets on the clamp walls are vital, but actually most oxygen penetrates through the top sheet. Standard polyethylene silage sheets can allow up to 180g of oxygen/m2 to pass through them every day, resulting in composting rather than fermentation in the top silage layers. Sealing the clamp with O2 Barrier 2in1 silage film can reduce this to less than 30g/m2/day.

O2 Barrier 2in1 consists of a 20µm polyamide film, which is a highly effective oxygen barrier, combined with an 80µm high-grade polyethylene top layer. Laid as a single sheet, the layers separate on the clamp. The polyamide layer is sucked down onto the topof the silage to ‘vacuum-pack’ it, minimising the risk of top and shoulder waste, while the top layer provides conventional protection.

Here’s a checklist of everything you need to make great wholecrop silage - every time.

✔ Safesil Pro is a special blend of food grade preservatives applied to the crop as it is picked up by the harvester. It eradicates all the major spoilage organisms - enterobacteria, clostridia, yeasts and moulds - that are present on forage crops in large numbers at harvest.

✔ Silaspray SP Standard-Maxi is a high-specification pump that can deliver high volumes of additive at rates of up to 550 litres/hour, equivalent to up to five litres per tonne. It is recommended for use with Safesil to ensure the correct application rate.

✔ SilaPactor speeds up the clamp compaction process almost four-fold, saving both time and fuel. Four models, 2.1; 2.6; 3 and 4 metres wide and weighing from 2.5t to 6t can increase compaction density by up to 40% compared to tractor rolling.

✔ O2 Barrier 2in1 is the ultimate in clamp protection, comprising a high-quality top layer covering a layer of very oxygen-impermeable polyamide vacuum film. (<30 cm3 of oxygen per m2 per day.)

✔ ClampTiles are made from 90 per cent recycled material with a life expectancy of around 15 years.They provide edge-to-edge clamp protection and can be stacked on pallets when not in use for easy storage. Unlike tyres, they don’t harbour rainwater and debris.

✔ ClampNet is a 300g/m2, heavy-duty green silage cover with seamed, stitched edges which offers added protection from attack by birds and vermin. ClampNets are reusable and feature reinforced ‘loops’ to enable secure attachment of gravel bags.

SilaPactor is fast and efficient.

All you need to grow

t: 01458 252 281 e: info@kelvincave.comkelvincave.com

Dates for your

DiaryCome and see us at any of the following events throughout the rest of 2018:

7-9 JuneRoyal Cornwall ShowRoyal Cornwall Showground, Wadebridge, Cornwall

21-24 JuneRoyal Highland ShowRoyal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh

18 JulyDriffield ShowThe Showground, Kelleythorpe, Driffield, East Yorkshire

23-26 JulyRoyal Welsh ShowRoyal Welsh Showground,Llanelwedd, Builth Wells, Powys

3 OctoberThe Dairy ShowBath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset

21-22 NovemberMidlands Machinery ShowNewark Showground, Newark, Nottinghamshire

Andy StrzeleckiTechnical Director07977 252 664andy@kelvincave.co.uk

Bryn ThomasArea Sales ManagerNorth Wales & Cheshire07739 323 322bryn@kelvincave.co.uk

David WarnerArea Sales ManagerSouthern07814 934 481david@kelvincave.co.uk

Ian HallSales Director07977 252 663ian@kelvincave.co.uk

Michael CarpenterArea Sales ManagerNorthern07817 977 701michael@kelvincave.co.uk

Ed SealeyArea Sales Manager Dorset, Hampshire & Wiltshire07801 200 546ed@kelvincave.co.uk

Kelvin CaveManaging Director07977 252 661kelvin@kelvincave.co.uk

Meet theSales Team